NATIONAL 9 (Spotlight Weelky)]

Sounds Of Discord

The employees association of state-owned corporations are on a strike to protest the change in their pay-scale

By A CORRESPONDENT

While the near one hundred thousand civil servants will be laughing all their way to bank after receiving their increased pay cheque at the end of this month, the about equal number of corporation employees are ruing what they call injustice meted out to them by the government by taking away their allowances.

Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya, in this year's budget, had announced a considerable hike in the salaries of government employees. But he was silent about the salaries of the corporation employees.

Many corporation employees had been enjoying better pay scale than their counterparts in government offices in the past. But after this year's budget, they have been brought on equal footing as the government has decided that their salaries will be at par with that of civil servants and any increment they would have otherwise enjoyed in terms of allowances would now be adjusted in their increased pay scales.

"This decision means that lower level employees like peon will now have their salaries reduced as they used to enjoy better allowances," said Premal Khanal, convenor, communication department of the joint protest committee of the Inter Corporation Employees' Association and Inter Bank Employees' Association. These two associations have been jointly launching programs to protest the new developments for the last seven weeks.

"About 70,000 employees of banks and corporations are on our side. We demand that the government note the rising cost of living and increase our salaries keeping the allowances intact," Khanal said. According to him, the government has not increased salaries of corporation employees for the last five years. He also says that the corporation employees should enjoy better pay scales than civil servants because of the complexities of their job.

The two associations had launched the program on June 23 with 11-point demands that include increase in pay scales, actions against corrupt officials and stopping political intervention in their offices, among others.

The protest program is being conducted on a phase wise basis with activities like wearing black bands, pen downs and picketing. "If the authorities do not pay heed to our demand till August 11, we will organize a general strike of corporations on that day," Khanal said.

There are more than 40 public enterprises in the country and most of them, except few public utility monopolies like Nepal Telecommunications Corporation, are running on losses. To cite the World Bank's Country Assistance Strategy 1999/2001, the public enterprises in Nepal, whose capital investment is equal to 25% of the GDP, are a major drag on economic growth and a drain on public revenue.

The total capital investment on the state-owned enterprises in the country till late nineties was said to be over 60 billion rupees. Critics claim that instead of helping the state generate revenue, the enterprises have become a burden draining more than 7% of public revenue.

When asked about the poor performance of the corporations, employees claim that it is wrong the make them the scapegoat. "Our performance will improve if we are motivated through better pay scales, among others," said Khanal.

Officials at the Finance Ministry look reluctant to listen to the corporation employees' grievances as the state exchequer is too burdened to fulfill their demands. All they are doing now is to wish the present agitation gradually slow down over the period of time.

Will it?

LEGAL TANGLE
Brawl In Bar

Are there any professional organizations which are untouched by politics? "No," say many. Whether it is the association of engineers, doctors or journalists, the intra-association elections are held on the basis of party ideology. Few individuals who still maintain professionalism have insignificant influence.

"Politicization in professional organizations is a national problem as every political party wants to control professional organizations. This is a symptom of dependency," said advocate Bharat Raj Upreti, who lost the election of Supreme Court Bar Council and resigned following the appointment of two members at Nepal Bar Council.

Politicization of Nepal Bar Association (NBA) and Nepal Bar Council (NBC) is not a new phenomenon as elections in both these organizations are held on the basis of political ideology.

Eleven-member Nepal Bar Council which issues license to the new lawyers was in the controversy following the appointment of two new members with the recommendation of NBA. Among eleven members, five members are elected from each regions, four are ex-officio members and two are nominated with the recommendation of NBA. Along with advocate Upreti, advocate Prakash Wasti also resigned as a member of Examination Committee of Nepal Bar Council.

Their resignation is taken as resentment over the nomination of advocate Kamal Narayan Das and Ram Sitaula as NBC members who were nominated following completion of tenure of advocate Prakash Wasti and Ram Nagina Singh.

Whether NBC or NBA, lawyers are sharply divided on the party line so whoever holds the power, they will appoint the person who favors their political ideology.